element detailing, which suggest they are susceptible to brittle, compression-controlled failure modes, and deemed deficient by industry practitioners. Researchers at the California Polytechnic State University [1], San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), recently tested a slender RC wall with vertical and horizontal reinforcement ratios approaching ACI 318-14 [2] code minimum (ρl= ρh= 0.37%) and no boundary elements. Results from this wall test will be presented and contrasted with a set of lightly reinforced walls, specimens C1-C3 tested by Lu et al. [3] at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, with higher levels of reinforcement (ρl= 0.53%). This paper will examine the Cal Poly and Lu et al. walls by comparing experimental test results. It will also comment on the accuracy of current modelling strategies used by industry practitioners to estimate the strength, stiffness, and ductility of existing lightly reinforced walls. Finally, it will make recommendations for the necessary model calibrations to achieve accurate prediction of the response of the lightly reinforced walls using PERFORM-3D [4], as a refinement of Lowes et al. [5] modeling recommendations for this wall type. The overall goal with this study is to facilitate accurate modeling that will provide detailed understanding of the wall response, and to inform the industry practitioner about the need for retrofitting to meet modern standards
